


Love Game(s)

by DeltaRaeRunAway



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: 7 Minutes, F/M, Never Have I Ever, Party Games, Spin the Bottle, Truth or Dare, Would You Rather, percabeth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-01
Updated: 2014-04-09
Packaged: 2018-01-06 23:36:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1112847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeltaRaeRunAway/pseuds/DeltaRaeRunAway
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the buzz started to go around that something suspicious was up, everybody looked to the closest tie they all had, collectively, to the children of Athena: Percy Jackson, Hero of Olympus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Number 3

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year, everybody! This is [hopefully] not indicative of how I write...I read another story where spin the bottle was played and wanted to toy around with the idea but it was really late at night and this is what I came up with...I hope it makes a semblance of sense!

1: Truth or Dare

2: Spin the Bottle/7 Minutes

3: Never Have I Ever…

4: Would You Rather

*********************************************************

The list was posted on the outside of the door to the Athena cabin, which housed the most intelligent and meticulous demigods spawned. This is why it came as such a shock that it was this group of campers that would take time away from their studies and inventions to plan something as trivial as a party, especially with nonsense games involved. And to let other people be in charge of selecting the game(s)? Unheard of. There had to be an ulterior motive in the works, and when the buzz started to go around that something suspicious was up, everybody looked to the closest tie they all had, collectively, to the children of Athena: Percy Jackson, Hero of Olympus.

Just barely one summer ago on his sixteenth birthday, Percy had (with help, he swore) singlehandedly (swore everybody else) saved both the mortal world and its Olympian counterpart. Sure, he could be kind of a laughingstock at times but his bravery in terms of physical feats (dare I say: Herculean), his quick thinking (albeit reckless sometimes), and his outside-of-the-box strategies made him pretty much the guy who everyone was in awe of around Camp Half-Blood. He hadn’t been there he longest, and he certainly wasn’t the one favored the most by the God in charge, but he had slowly become royalty in the demigod world. Oh, and he was dating his partner-in-crime, the levelheaded daughter of Athena who had been at camp the longest. 

She was the feminine icon of the camp, and that’s why they were such a perfect match. The ‘royal couple’, so to speak. Percy and Annabeth, Annabeth and Percy. They went on quests together, and they went on dates together. They fought to keep themselves alive as well as their relationship. And only one of them had successfully made it thus far to seventeen! 

So when a peculiar list appeared on Annabeth’s cabin’s door with a tacky birdhouse-shaped mailbox made by a wannabe kid of Hephaestus, clearly begging for peoples’ opinions to be submitted into, it was Percy who everybody deemed in charge of finding out what was going on.

About five minutes after the commotion, a very recently awoken Percy, his hair disheveled and his pajamas crumpled up from just having rolled out of bed, rapped tiredly with his knuckles at the offending door. 

Without checking to see who it was, the door opened, and without checking to see who had opened it, Percy stepped in and peered around the room, scanning for his girlfriend. She was in charge of her cabin, she had to know something. Nobody would dare to make a move without her consent first.

“OK, Wise Girl, what’s the deal?” He stepped up to her, who at the ripe hour of seven AM was fully dressed and showered, and furiously jotting something down in her day planner. 

Smoothly, and without even looking up, she replied, “whatever do you mean? And good morning, I believe, are the words that you were looking for.”

“Too early for the sassiness. Too sleepy. Percy is too sleepy.”

“And apparently,” she raised an eyebrow, clearly amused, now looking up into his sea-green eyes, “too daft to not talk in the third person. But really, if you must know, well—you are aware that there is an all camp strictly campers party tonight, right? Hosted by this cabin?” She gestured around and Percy’s eyes followed her hand. Yep, this was one hundred percent the Athena cabin. He nodded. 

“We decided to look up some popular, ah, teenaged ‘party games’, they’re called, to ‘break the ice’.”

“And?” Percy pressed, propping himself up by leaning against Annabeth’s sleeping bed (she was top bunk, and a newcomer, Penelope, had the bottom. Something about spiders that had her worried about the ceiling.)

“And what?” Annabeth either wasn’t getting the hint, or was teasing him as she so often did. It’s what he loved and hated about her.

“And why are you, the bossiest people to ever be birthed—sorry, Athena, hopeful future-mother-in-law—allowing us lesser cabins to help pick the game?”

Annabeth blinked. Once, twice. It was all very innocent. “Seaweed Brain, it’s called consensus. Allowing the people to vote for what’s popular. It’s part of a new government called democracy.”

Percy had had enough. Annabeth could see this and chuckled, pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek and eliciting a rosy blush. “Sorry, is little Perseus still too sleepy to comprehend? Well, that’s what you have me for, I suppose.” She softened a bit because he hadn’t cracked a smile, even though he desperately wanted to. “Hey, did you sleep OK? You know Chiron said that we are allowed that room in the Big House if need be. And I’m just giving you a hard time now—got to keep up appearances. Can’t look too mushy, it makes you lose character points in this cabin. Fatal flaw, I suppose.”

Percy, surprisingly, leaned in and—very quickly—kissed her in return, on her forehead. “Thanks for being worried. I—I slept fine. I just have kind of a daunting feeling, that’s all, but it’s nothing to worry about today so…so I guess I’ll be on my way. Gotta get ready for this totally not suspicious party y’all are hosting tonight.”

Annabeth grinned, returning back to her mini-calendar. “Oh, and Percy? It’s cute that you were delegated to spy on us, it really is. But you’re not getting anything out of me so easily. This game is pure fun for all of you, but a fascinating gathering of research for those of us—“ again, she gestured to herself and her siblings, “—who are so inclined to use it to our advantage.”

“What? Too many big words, too many big words…” Percy mumbled, stepping backwards to leave. His mind suddenly reminded him of something, clearing it for a moment of its cloudiness. “Are we still on for sword fighting today? At four, in the arena?”

“Wouldn’t miss it if the harpies were chasing me,” she smiled smugly and he walked away, shaking his head. She was a handful and he loved it, especially because he knew he was one, too. That’s another reason they were so perfect for each other. 

Campers were waiting right outside of the cabin door, eagerly anticipating Percy’s findings. “Sorry, kiddos. I tried to turn on the charm, to no avail. We’re just going to have to show up tonight and see for ourselves. As for the non-tricky aspect, though, just write down the number of the game you find least threatening and submit it. It’s this thing called…demography? Demonology? Something like that. Just do it.” He saluted, so cocky that Annabeth would have laughed right in his face. “I’ll see everyone at breakfast in an hour or so. Carry on!”

He even had to laugh at himself, it was just that, well, how could anybody take him so seriously?! He was just Percy Jackson, for the Gods’ Sakes! He still had to Iris-Message his mom before camp dances so that she could get all misty-eyed and tear up before giving him a lecture and an OK. 

He shrugged to himself, finally reaching his empty cabin again. Tyson was at the underwater forges of their dad, Poseidon, doing what he did best while Percy was alone up on land. He didn’t mind, really, he enjoyed the solitude (most of all when Annabeth had free time, too) but he missed his Cyclops brother an awful lot. He hadn’t lost him for good, though, and that was the important thing. Over the past few years but the last one especially CHB had lost many of its valued and loved campers, usually due to traitors and their connections. That’s what the Athena cabin used to convince Mr. D (Dionysus) that this party was a good, healthy idea. A bit of fun to take away from the monster fighting and the prophesizing they did throughout the day. Yes, they had the Oracle (Rachel, in her personally decorated space) to do the last bit, but it still hung heavily on their minds, what with Percy having daunting nightmares more frequently now than ever. So, to get minds away from turmoil, there would be a party. That night. And frankly, Percy was afraid. 

Annabeth has an uncanny ability to intimidate him, even though it was he who knew where she hid the extra key to her newly purchased apartment room (which he utilized whenever he lost the spare she’d given him, wherein she would sigh and go to make another copy only to find it lost the next visit), and it was he who had the power to tell anyone that she cried at almost any movie, or that she sometimes neglected to wear underpants, which most people would deem practical, but Percy truly didn’t mind. Really, he was all for that decision…

Anyway, he threw on a potentially clean shirt and a questionable pair of jeans and washed his face before going to the mess hall. He would shower later and then actually get dressed, after his “date” with Annabeth (which involved swords, mind you) and before the, er, engagement that night.

******************************************************* 

“OK,” Malcolm (the eldest but not most respected or listened to member of the Athena clan) “Settle down, folks. Can we all just please settle down.” 

Annabeth whistled once to gather everybody’s attention and they eagerly shut their mouths, sat down as if possessed, and looked t her. She, gracefully, rolled her eyes.

“Not me. Him!” and pointed at her brother, who seemed sheepish and a bit taken aback but smiled at her, obviously thankful for her authority.

“Alright, ground rules. Wait, first, I’m being told that the game chosen for tonight was number 3? Oh, OK, never have I ever. Alright, now for the rules. From what I understand, these games can tend to get a bit raunchy. Bear in mind that while only people with two or more beads on their necklaces are here, this includes ages all the way down to eleven. So I can’t stress enough the importance of appropriate behaviors. And absolutely NOTHING that will upset the gods or Chiron. Or ruin Olympus as we know it. Also,” he added as an afterthought, “no interrupting me. I’ll be studying for a very important entrance exam coming up for me in a couple short months. I’ll be in the Big House, but I’m appointing,” he paused, searching around for a reliable source, and finally pointed to someone, a mousy girl from Demeter’s cabin, “Lisa as the one who gauges what needs to be brought to my attention. Um…” he said awkwardly, unsure of how to make his exit without people hating him. “Hey, I know it’s been tough, but have fun. SAFE fun, mind you, but be normal for once.”

And then he was gone. A few kids snickered, and Lisa looked like she was going to pass out. “It’s OK,” Annabeth told her, running a hand soothingly up and down the girl’s back. “I’ll make sure everything works out OK. He’s just stressed because it’s, you know, hard for even a child of Athena to do well in school with all the dyslexia and stuff that we demigods have. But you know all that.”

She turned to address the rest of the group. “OK! Circle up, and save me a spot! I’ll be back in just a sec. Like Malcolm mentioned, you all chose never have I ever, and we’ll explain the rules as soon as I get back.”

There was a flurried rush of movement as people hurried to obey Annabeth’s command. True to her word, she came back very shortly with a stack of cups printed with Daedalus’ delta on them. “It was all I could find.” 

She had people pass them around and then had Marilyn, a daughter of Aphrodite whose passion was magic, fill everyone’s up with nectar. The younger ones’ eyes widened in delight. Travis and Connor Stoll, resident pranksters and practiced campers just shared a pitiful look. They had been stealing nectar from the camp’s infirmary from the tender age of six!

“The rules are as follows: somebody starts, and then we go around in a circle, and says something that they have never done. If you have done it, you take a sip. If you have not, you remain silent until the next turn. Any questions? Good. Now…Percy, why don’t you start, honey.”

He gulped. “Um, never have I ever…worn a dress?” and so the game began, without a hitch, everyone visibly relaxing.

It was still going strong half an hour later, with surprising revelations like the absence of quenched Aphrodite children when the statement was, “never have I ever had a crush” and the timid sips of most Apollo kids when the statement was, “never have I ever questioned my immortal parent’s sexuality,” although the question had likely been directed at them. 

Some statements were darker than others: never have I ever killed a human or half-human, never have I ever watched somebody die, never have I ever wanted to follow Kronos for a split second. There were lots of hesitations here, but the Athena cabin assured that there would be no judgment. 

Alternatively, some statements were comically specific: never have I ever picked strawberries from a field that was not mine and sold them to get drachmas (Kate Gardener’s statement resulting in 2 identical hands lifting cups to 2 identical lips), never have I ever pretended to be summoned just to get away from the reed pipe music of a satyr (“Hey!” Was Grover’s indignant reply when nearly the whole room took sips), never have I ever lost a game of capture the flag (a boast from Clarisse that, though completely untrue, had even Percy and Annabeth smiling).

And then the statements (let’s call them subtle inquiries or questions) got tricky. Lisa, actually, was the first to say something of that nature. “Never have I ever thought about joining The Hunters of Artemis.” Percy, whose eye had been glued to his girlfriend the whole night, nearly had a conniption when Annabeth took a drink. A few other guys looked away from the circle of friends, of family; hurt. 

Then it got to be embarrassing: never have I ever kissed anyone, never have I ever kissed anybody in this room, never have I ever shirked off dishwashing duties in order to kiss somebody here (Annabeth and Percy casually took sips before the whole room burst out laughing. “So it was that obvious?” She asked, getting only guffaws in reply.)

And then the bombshell: never have I ever been in love. For some younger campers, they didn’t even know what the word meant, usually having run away from broken families or just being generally too young to understand. For other young ones they thought they had been in love, whether it was with their mom or dad or stuffed animal that they held at night. It was a little more complex with the older campers, the ones well into their teenaged years. One Stoll twin took a drink, the other did not. At least one member from each cabin drank, but some had more than others. Aphrodite’s, for example, was filled with lovebirds (surprise, surprise). It should also not come as a surprise to know that Percy and Annabeth, giddy from nectar intake now, both took sips while gazing into each other’s eyes from across the circle, channeling every cheesy Lifetime movie she’d ever made him see.

Soon enough it was time to go to bed before the harpies would see to it that the demigods knew whose grounds the camp was on. 

“So…that wasn’t so bad,” Percy offered. Annabeth nodded slightly, but seemed distracted, sidetracked. “I was kind of hoping for truth or dare actually, I thought this was kind of a…heavy game for night one. Oh well, tomorrow will be better.”

Percy’s brain nearly exploded “Tomorrow?! I have to go through this again? TOMORROW?!”

Coolly, Annabeth replied, “of course! This is a four-day party, one game for every night the remainder of this week. Didn’t you read your invitation?”

To be honest, Percy hadn’t even looked at his, just crumpled it up and swished it into the trashcan like it was a basketball net and he was to score the winning shot of an NBA game. He figured Annabeth would tell him everything he needed to know, so why bother with papers? She was better than any search engine or schedule he’d ever receive! But this again? Sure, it hadn’t been so bad, but he’d breathed a sigh of relief when it was over, his fears that something suspicious was in the works having been denied. And now, here she was saying that there would be not one, not two, but THREE more opportunities for those same fears to be confirmed!

Life with Annabeth was always interesting, but it gave him a headache, too. He wanted her all to himself, where he could keep her under wraps (under covers, under arrest—get it? Rest? Like in a bed? OK, maybe not) and away from causing trouble with her cunning brain that was too good for her own good. Or his. 

Funny, that’s what Annabeth always said about Percy. About keeping him to herself, under wraps so that he couldn’t cause trouble. Were they more alike then they thought themselves to be? They’d attracted as opposites, but now they seemed on the road to becoming one.


	2. Chapter 2

The day had started like a regular day, with most of the older kids nursing lethargic bodies as though they’d just stepped out of the Lethe River as a result of the nectar intake the previous night. The rest of the campers, though, had their ADHD step in and essentially forgot about the new nightlife of the camp.

It was lunchtime before the Athena cabin made a formal appearance. They were fully functioning, but the bags under their eyes suggested that they had been up all night and late into that morning. Chiron had a word with Malcolm, who looked disgruntled but accommodating once Annabeth touched his shoulder gently, and the centaur nodded and allowed the remainders of the cabin to take their seats at their table. 

Percy tried to get his girlfriend’s attention, sending an arched eyebrow her way, but if she saw, she made no implication of this. He sighed and willed his coke to turn blue so that he could drink it as the gods intended.

When lunch let out for afternoon downtime, which would be followed by a rigorous rock-climbing simulation, there was a new notice posted on the door to the Athena cabin. Percy curbed his curiosity and didn’t even bother to look, just rolling his eyes as he passed by. The whispers of “yeah, same place, same time!” and “truth or dare” told him what game was set for that night. Uh-oh, hadn’t Annabeth said something about wanting to play this game?

He thought to himself that a nap would be nice—but no such luck.

“Percy!” Annabeth cooed, wrapping her arms around his neck in a very uncharacteristic manner. On instinct, his head gravitated back so that to an onlooker, Percy didn’t show signs of having a neck. 

“Why—why the closeness?” He stammered. “I mean, n-not that I don’t like it and everything, but…um, just—why?”

She just laughed in his face. Outright laughed: in his face! Imagine.

“Aren’t I allowed to be close to you? Because I can go spend my time elsewhere…”

“No, no!” He nearly tripped over his words trying to get this reply out. She grinned, obviously receiving the response that she had been dying to elicit. 

“Hey, can you still do that thing—at the bottom of the lake—with the giant bubble?” She was being so suggestive and he was, as a result, so very nervous. But now, slightly offended, too.

He blushed a little. “Of course I can! My powers haven’t diminished or anything. If you really want to, I mean, we can go now…”

She beamed. “You’re using the word-of-the-day calendar that I bought you! Seaweed Brain,” she clucked affectionately. “Shall we?”

And so the couple, one forgetting about the mystifying plans for that night and the other alarmingly aware, spent the rest of their free time getting lost in each other’s limbs in a bubble at the bottom of the lake. When he finally had the audacity to pop it (“Sorry, Annabeth! It’s getting late, though. What is with you lately, anyways?” “Percy, anyways isn’t the proper grammatical sequence.” “You’re not the proper grammatical sequence!” “Just kiss me, you moron.” So he did, but above water, this time. Somewhere in the woods, a naiad glared, losing her concentration, and accidentally felling a tree in her haste to prove her disdain for the embracing couple.)

********************************  
After dinner and a riveting sing-a-long led by, naturally, the Apollo cabin’s elders, the congregation of demigods moved to the Athena cabin yet again. Malcolm withheld another lecture, but gave a disapproving look to the eager crowd as a preliminary show of disapproval. Then he walked out.

“Truth or dare?” Annabeth asked brightly to the boy next to her. He had three beads on his necklace, and was looking at Annabeth in awe. Percy scowled. He didn’t like the grounds of this game; that was for sure.

“Dare.”

She made like she was going to say something seductive and involving of physical attraction between him and her, nearly causing Percy to scream in frustration, but she turned it at the last second. “Take your shirt off and…no, don’t. Take Katie’s hair down.”

The boy nearly choked, and Percy chuckled to himself. “Sorry?” The boy inquired.

Annabeth smiled smugly (was there any other way?) “You heard me. She’s got a ponytail in. You have hands. Take it out, let her hair down.”

Somebody in the circle whispered, “this is so juvenile,” but still fell silent when the kid began to do his dare. 

Katie’s face had gone through a myriad of shades in the past couple of second, going from its normal shade to a sickly pale and then a deep red blush. 

The game progressed; some highlight dares being when the Stolls were challenged to a week without pranks or they’d have to go a week without drinking anything but water. The threat of soda deprivation scared them enough to swear up and down that they would follow through.

Then there were the typical dares, the ones that you would expect: take this article off, go sit next to this person, refrain from doing this for this many minutes…etc. There were a few specific to demigods, of course: “I dare you to go down to the lake and skinny dip—take Katie as proof.” “Why am I the source of everybody’s entertainment today?” “Because we love you, Katie, now go on! Oh, and one more thing.” “Yes, pray tell?” “Make sure the harpies don’t nip at him—that’s pretty lethal.” “Yay!” “Oh, shut up—you’ll enjoy this.”

Compared to the first night of games, truth or dare was rather short-lived. One shockingly bold question from Annabeth caught Percy off guard, however, and that might have had something to do with the game’s abrupt end.

“Did you really mean it when you said you wanted Athena to be your mother in law somebody?” She had inquired unabashedly. Percy had gaped, his mouth opening and closing quite a few times before any words slipped out. The younger campers had a field day with this reaction, of course. “Poseidon’s son is moving his lips like a fish! Some hero.”

“Well?”

Oh, right. The question. He had yet to answer it. What was it again? Uh…cursed ADHD.

He nodded, recalling something about Annabeth and recalling also some valid dating advice that his mother had bestowed upon him. Always say yes to her. Always. Ever his mama’s boy, Percy obliged and always practiced Sally’s rule. It hadn’t let him down yet, and had even gotten him some…benefits.

A sector of the circle began giggling, and Percy wondered what he’d done that was so funny. He looked to Annabeth, always the wiser, and she wore an unfamiliar expression. It was a cross between smugness and genuinely touched. Her fatal flaws were battling, it seemed; part of her wanting to sing her own praises and another incredibly moved by something. 

“Me?” Thought Percy. “Did I make her like this?”

Katie shot Annabeth a very knowing look that Percy couldn’t decipher, and promptly dared a first-year camper to fake an injury and collect a bagful of ambrosia from the infirmary for the next night of festivities. He accepted, and figured that the best time to do this was the present, and the evening broke up after he borrowed Annabeth’s invisibility cap and went off. 

As Percy walked back to his own cabin, he heard a kind of buzzing in his mind, hinting that there was something that he should be ultra focused on but he just couldn’t pinpoint it. Nevertheless, as soon as his head hit the pillow on his bed, he was out like a light. Annabeth would find him bright and early the next morning crashed there, above the sheets, in torn jeans and his faded orange T-shirt.

But that promised to be the least of his problems on day three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, sorry, a million times sorry for the lateness of this update! If you harangue me enough in the review section I *should* update in a more timely fashion. Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoy.


End file.
